


A New Purpose.

by Isla_Bell



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Horror, Mild Sexual Content, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:29:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24528412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isla_Bell/pseuds/Isla_Bell
Summary: It had been two years since Sherry had turned her back on everything she’d known. Claire had called in every favour owed to create a new life for her, a new identity, and kept her hidden. Sherry spent the first few months moving from place to place. Always paranoid. Trusting no one. Until Jake had appeared at her door, courtesy of another ‘old friend’ he’d told her with a wink.He had been sent her way with explicit instructions to keep her from harm. Well, Jake could only promise so much. At least he’d tried to keep his promise for the first few months...
Relationships: Sherry Birkin/Jake Muller
Comments: 7
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this came out of a need to write something different, more fun and less angst! It was going to be a one-shot but as I wrote it turned into something with the potential for a multi-chap fic. So there will probably still be plenty of angst! I am also having to write with an app on my phone for now, so if the formatting goes a little wonky I apologise!
> 
> The reference Jake makes to Sherry being ‘It’ is in relation to a playground game similar to what I think is also called Chase or Tag in other countries.

Gunshots echoed off the walls as voices called out, shouting frantic orders. Snarls and the scraping sound of claws being dragged against the tiled floor caused the woman ducking behind a blown out pillar to shiver, even in the oppressive heat of the sun that beat down on the crumbling brick building.

"Come on Jake, _where are you_?" she muttered under her breath. Her partner had been gone too long. Much longer than the few minutes he'd promised it would take him to secure their target. Sherry began to feel the cold touch of dread in her stomach.

She should have gone. It had been risky either way, to lure away the creature that had stalked them through the city or fight through the remains of the mutated militia who'd secured the floor above them. Jake was fast both on foot and with a gun. He'd offered her a confident smirk and wink of his eye before declaring she was 'It' and disappearing down the hall, calling over his shoulder that if he wasn't back in ten minutes then dinner was on him; leaving Sherry to distract the skinless beast whose gleaming claws were attached to arms long enough that they dragged on the ground behind its lumbering body.

Luring it back toward their _other_ enemy and letting them duke it out so she and Jake could pick off whoever remained had been a tempting idea. But that would risk the beast actually being killed in the fight. And they needed it alive. They'd promised their employer a sample of the new breed of BOWs that had been popping up around the globe. So, as Jake had duly pointed out, this was a 'two birds one stone' scenario. Win win.

As long as he came back.

The sound was drawing closer. Above her she could hear the voices still shouting with confusion and panic. Sherry was still struggling to pick up the language, unlike Jake who seemed to have an unnatural skill for such things and was already fluent. But what she heard through the floors, roughly translated, may have been, " _Will someone shoot that asshole already?_ "

The corners of Sherry's mouth twitched as she heard the unmistakable bellow of her companion followed by a series of thuds. She counted the bodies as they hit the floor until... silence. Sherry resisted the urge to call out, to make sure Jake was okay, but with the BOW still sniffing at the air from the end of the long hallway she knew it unwise to give away her location.

It wasn't the first time they'd met a creature like this; one who seemed to fixate on Sherry's scent and track her relentlessly, similar to the Ustanak back in Edonia and China which had been used by Neo-Umbrella to seek out and capture the only kin of Albert Wesker. It had occurred to Sherry that this new trend of smarter, more focused BOW was no coincidence. But now was not the time to brain-storm conspiracy theories. Besides, if they finally managed to capture one of the new breeds and hand it over to their newest employer they might learn a thing or two that would actually be of use. Especially since these new creations had a bothersome ability. They rotted away upon death. Skin, flesh even teeth and bone. It was clever really, to leave no evidence behind. With no corpse there would be no opportunity for others to study its genetic make-up.

All gone in a matter of minutes in a stinking, steaming pile of-

" _Crap_!"

Lost in her thoughts Sherry hadn't notice the BOW lock onto her scent and begin its charge toward her. She rounded the corner, emptying a clip in its chest and legs. The bullets did little to slow it down. Its great hands rose into the air as claws uncurled themselves above its head, dragging along the ceiling. Above them Sherry heard Jake call out for her as she turned on her heel and bolted, reloading her gun as she ran. With a blood curdling shriek she heard the thing slide across the tiles and into the wall, its giant form scrambling clumsy in its haste as the bulging muscles and overgrown legs struggled to control it's own momentum.

"It's under control!" Sherry shouted back, hoping Jake could hear her. With a scowl she made a mental note to make sure Claire delivered them a new earpiece on the next drop.

Waterproof ones this time.

Sherry took the stairs two at a time and leapt from the last five. She had to keep the thing away from Jake and give him time to find their target. She turned once again and waited as the sound of thunderous footsteps came closer, her gun was raised as she wondered just what it would take to slow this thing down. She hoped, _prayed_ , that the plan she'd formed as the window behind her had come into sight would work. If not...

With a snarl it came hurtling toward her, again Sherry took aim and waited... it reached the top of the staircase and tensed for the briefest of seconds as its legs braced themselves before leaping into the air.

Sherry dived forward. Its grasping claws had _just_ missed her, and in the creatures efforts to claim its prize it failed to see the enormous stain-glass window that it was now hurtling toward. "Please break, _please_ _break!"_ Sherry chanted as the BOWs momentum sent it crashing head first into the glass.

It splintered and shattered with a satisfying crash. She heard the inhuman scream as the creature tumbled toward the ground below. Were they high enough that the fall would kill it? Sherry doubted it.

On legs that trembled a little more than Sherry cared to admit she made her way to the window. The street below was empty save for the rainbow cascade of broken glass and the twitching form of her attacker. She brought her gun up and waited. Its twitching stopped but the body did not rot. "Still alive." she thought tiredly to herself. They'd have to find a way to contain it and get the creature to their employer. Merely cutting off an extremity didn't work. They'd tried. The appendage simply dissolved into nothingness once separated from its main body. It had to be all or nothing.

The building appeared to be silent now. Sherry resisted the urge to call for Jake, pausing to listen for more footsteps. She began to make her way back up the stairs when she was given only the briefest warning as Jake's muffled voice could be heard somewhere just above her.

"Heads up!" he hollered before the ceiling exploded. Sherry crouched, covering her face from the flying debris. Her nose and throat filled with dust as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand to clear them. "Jake!" she called. Had he triggered a trap?

From above a body fell with a messy thump, landing ungracefully on his ass halfway up the stairs before tumbling down with a string of inventive curses. " _God damn_..." Jake muttered, his eyes cracking open as he came to a stop at Sherry's feet. A quick scan of his battered body told her he was relatively uninjured, the blood covering his face and shirt was not his own. She couldn't help the half-smile as she cocked her head to one side.

"Will you ever get over the need to make an entrance?"

"Who me? Never." Jake said with a shake of his head. He took the hand Sherry stretched out to him and pulled himself to his feet. "Besides, my flair for the dramatic is part of the charm right? It's why you love me."

Sherry rolled her eyes as a devilish grin spread over his features. "Did you get it at least?" She asked. After everything they'd been through for the last few days, if this was yet another false lead she was just about ready to rip up the contract (figuratively of course, there was no actual paper trail for what they did) and take a long vacation somewhere with an abundance of mojito's.

Jake pulled something from his pocket with a triumphant flourish. "All this trouble for this little thing," he said to her incredulously, shaking his head. "S'funny what people will die over."

"Or kill for." Sherry pointed out.

"Way to kill my mood," Jake frowned, slipping the microchip back inside his zipped pocket, "Now, how about we blow this joint. I've got a craving for steaks."

Sherry smiled apologetically as she nodded at the shattered window. "We still need to take care of that."

Jake took a step forward and peered into the street with a scowl. "Ah screw it. Put a bullet to it and let's eat. We'll find another tomorrow, or the next day. We've got better things to do."

Sherry couldn't help the smile that spread over her face when Jake slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her toward him. He smelled of sweat and blood, but Sherry didn't care as she stood on the tips of her toes and stretched toward him. She pressed her mouth to his and the kiss was long, deep... aching. They hadn't had a moments rest for what felt like weeks and now, in the stillness of the bloody aftermath of their battle, she felt a familiar craving begin to burn...

"I'll take that as a yes?" Jake said hopefully when she finally fell back on her heels, breaking the kiss. He pulled his gun from its holster and aimed toward the ground.

"Fuck!" His eyes narrowed as he leaned further forward, his neck craning as he searched the now empty street. "It's gone!"

Jake let out another curse as Sherry almost pushed him out the window as she hurried to see for herself. "Maybe the fall _did_ kill it..."

"Not if those claw marks are anything to go by." Jake pointed to a building slightly further up the road. Five deep lines had been left in the brick of the walls. So the creature had retreated... for now. Sherry was relieved the area had been evacuated already, but she knew they didn't have time to hunt the thing down. Their informants had told them the BSAA would be making their way to the town by the end of the week. Apparently the hundreds of civilians that lived here were expendable but the neighbouring, much wealthier city was 'top priority' as they worked to clear the area of the latest outbreak of BOWs.

"We should get going. The BSAA can have fun with that one." Jake decided. They needed to be gone by sunrise.

Sherry nodded, sighing in frustration as yet _another_ BOW escaped them. "Who in the hell is making these things." she grumbled.

"I dunno, but whoever it is they know what they're doing." Jake placed his hand around Sherry's shoulders as they walked away from the carnage.

Sherry remained silent. She wondered if Jake hadn't yet noticed the pattern that was becoming clearer to her with every enemy they took down. Surely he'd noticed the way they stalked Sherry like a monstrous shadow. It was obvious in her mind just who was sending these things after them, after _her_.

There were few people in the world who knew what she was. About her unique DNA and all that it entailed. It shouldn't have surprised her the lengths some would go to in order to get her under their control once more. Or, as Sherry was beginning to suspect, eliminate her entirely along with the secret she carried in her veins. She knew the danger it posed in the wrong hands as much as they did. But...

But as she glanced up at Jake's face and caught the cloudy look of worry on his features before he caught her gaze and hid it with an empty smile, she knew her decision may have been selfish. Dangerous even. Yet she felt no regret at her choice to leave her home, her job and her country and be _free_.

Some things were worth the risk. And hell, she _deserved_ some happiness.

* * *

It had been two years since Sherry had turned her back on everything she'd known. Claire had called in every favour owed to her and used every connection available to create a new life, a new identity, and keep her hidden. Sherry spent the first few months moving from place to place. Always paranoid. Trusting no one. Until one day when Jake had appeared at her door. Courtesy of another 'old friend', he'd told her with a wink.

He had been sent her way with explicit instructions to keep her from harm. Well, Jake could only promise so much. At least he'd _tried_ to keep his promise for the first few months...

Sherry then spent the next half a year or so being shown the ropes on how to live off the grid and under the radar. While living under her new alias they'd worked together on numerous jobs, meeting a few like-minded people but never sticking around long enough to put down roots. They were at the top of the Most Wanted list in several countries. They couldn't afford to build too much of a reputation with people. They needed to blend in, work a job... then vanish. Something Jake had mastered years ago.

Perhaps it was this never ceasing threat of exposure, the exhaustion of constant fear and paranoia, that brought them just that little bit closer every day until one seemingly normal night...

Jake and Sherry were sat by a fire, sharing a beer outside an old hunting cabin which was formally a safe house used by Claire's associates. Before that night they had already shared everything there was to know about themselves. Their childhoods, their traumas...

It was _this_ night they finally discussed the only topic not yet explored. Their meeting, and the shit storm that had followed those bullet filled twenty-four hours. Including the six months spent in captivity. The memories brought back a sense of loss and longing for Sherry. She'd been so sure of herself back then. Certain that she could make a difference. Carve out a life for herself. It had only taken a few days after their rescue in China for the truth to come out. Her 'employment' by the government had been a ruse. She was being used as a test subject in the field before her enhanced DNA would be transferred to other subjects in order to attempt to create a species of human/BOW super soldiers. Thank god Claire had been suspicious of Simmons' intentions for years. She'd been able to get a warning to Chris who had in turn informed Leon-

Sherry had almost broken down that night at the mention of his name. Of all the people to pay the price for her freedom, of course it was him. He had always protected her. He had accepted his job working with the government only as a bargaining tool to keep Sherry protected while in their 'care'. And again, when that same government broke their promise to treat Sherry as first and foremost a _human_ _being_ rather than contaminated property, he'd put everything on the line to save her.

 _"I should have been there..."_ Jake had told her softly as he pulled her closer, his chin resting atop her head as she nestled her face in his neck.

_"How could you have known..."_

They'd retired for the night not long after, but there was something hanging heavy in the air between them. Words unsaid, feelings unexplored and still pushed to the backs of their minds. There had been only one bed, and Sherry still wasn't sure if she'd known what was to happen between them when she pointed out it was big enough for two.

Had Jake? She'd never asked. The pair had been dancing around the unspoken feelings between them from the moment he turned up at her door months ago. Perhaps even before that...

Sherry had dropped everything and followed him without hesitation, without fear. After loosing everything she'd known, no matter how shitty the circumstances of her freedom had been, Jake had felt like the first solid thing in her life since... well, since she'd walked away from Raccoon City with her hands tightly wrapped within her new guardian's fingers.

For the first time in years, when she went to sleep on that first night, knowing Jake was sprawled uncomfortably on the couch opposite her, she had felt safe. Just for a few hours at least.

She told herself that was why, on _this_ night, she felt so comfortable to let him pull off his boots and slide beneath the covers beside her. They were both fully dressed, as they often were, ready to run or fight at a moments notice. Jake had only gone barefoot out of courtesy for Sherry. He tended to move a lot in his sleep, or so he'd been told. He didn't think she'd appreciate a booted foot kicking her in the middle of the night.

So when Sherry had rolled on her side as she drifted off and pressed her head against the warmth of Jake's shoulder he didn't shrink away at her touch. Eventually his breathing began to match hers, slow deep breaths syncing as they slept. The next morning when they woke they knew something had changed, but neither had been ready to put it into words. Even when Sherry had followed Jake into the bathroom as he pulled off his shirt to shower. Without a word she'd done the same, dropping the garment on the floor at her feet as his eyes followed her every movement.

They made it into the shower eventually. Once all further clothing had been removed. Sherry had taken in the sight of Jake's battle scarred body. His youth seemed to contradict the story his skin told, it seemed impossible for someone so young to carry so many marks. But perhaps what was truly unnatural was the contrast of Sherry's own flesh. Her perfect unmarred body was almost doll-like. Not a scar or a blemish to be found. Jake had checked. Thoroughly.

Another eighteen months later and little had changed, except Jake had gained a few more scars whilst Sherry remained pristine. Jake often tried to picture her without her powers as his hands and mouth trailed over every inch of her.

This is where the bullet hit her thigh... he remembered with a pang of regret. That one had been his fault, he'd been sloppy and overconfident. Underestimating his enemy... and probably eager to show off.

His thumb brushed her sides. An explosion had sent glass hurtling toward them. Sherry had shielded Jake as best she could with her small frame. He'd spent hours picking the debris from her skin, watching it heal beneath his fingertips as he pulled each sliver of glass and wood from her body.

He remembered fire and the glint of a knife. Grenades and fists and teeth and claws...

His fingers traced the soft curve of her back. Without her powers Sherry would never have even made it out of Edonia.

Jake often wondered what life would be like if she _had_ died on that mountainside. He wasn't the type that believed in things like fate or destiny, but it sure was a big fucking coincidence in his eyes that she, of all people, was the one sent to find him. Call it what you will, it didn't matter. Perhaps the universe was playing some twisted joke. The children of Albert Wesker and William Birkin falling in love and saving the world. If there was a God he had an ironic sense of humour, Jake decided.

* * *

There was an unusual silence between them as they made their way cautiously through the streets. It wasn't like they couldn't be silent in each other's company, but this uneasiness had little to do with the monster loose somewhere nearby. They were both deep in thought, putting the pieces together in their heads. The creatures they kept happening upon were not there by chance. They stood out from every other BOW Jake had fought, except perhaps one. But even taking a swim in a pool of lava hadn't slowed _that_ one down, so whoever was developing these new beasts were smart, but amateurs. If you wanted to create the perfect killing machine it needed to be a little more durable. If getting tossed out of a window had the thing retreating to nurse its wounds then Jake wasn't too worried about taking it on a second time.

"I think we should leave tonight," Sherry said suddenly, interrupting Jake's thoughts.

"So that's a pass on the steaks then?" He asked with an exaggerated frown, only half joking.

"I'll make it up to you, promise." She smiled up at him sweetly, cheeks flushing a little when Jake cocked one eyebrow suggestively.

He loved that even after all these months, all the crazy shit they'd been through together... never spending a night out of each other's arms... she somehow still had that little spark of innocence that brought blood rushing to her cheeks with the slightest hint of innuendo. Side effect of a sheltered life, he supposed. "I'll hold you to that."

Collecting whatever supplies and few belongings they had was quick work. They were well practised in this life now. Moving fast, never getting too comfortable. Jake had been used to it since he was a kid and Sherry seemed to revel in the unpredictable nature of their lives. Jake remembered the monotonous, torturous months of captivity in China and supposed after more than a decade living as a lab rat he couldn't blame her.

He felt something twist in his chest. Jake had never imagined he'd be the kind of guy to 'settle down'. And really, he wasn't. He _hadn't_. This was far from the Hollywood dream of white picket fences and working 9-5 to provide for little Timmy and Susie to go to soccer practice, or wherever the hell _normal_ people did. But he couldn't help but think that Sherry deserved more...

"Hello? Earth to Jake..."

Sherry's voice cut through his thoughts and he shook off the unwelcome intrusion of self pity.

"We should get the microchip to Claire. There's evidence in that thing that could shut down countless labs. It won't put an end to all this overnight but it'll be a pretty nasty thorn in the side of a lot of powerful people..."

Jake zoned out as Sherry chattered away. Her worry was slowly giving way to her excitement, her sense of accomplishment in what they were doing together. For over a year they'd worked as ghosts, clearing up the messes left behind by whatever corrupt corporation or government had unleashed hell on its enemies, or even its own people. They received no credit for their efforts, of course. Their lives depended on it as they spent most of their time evading organisations like the BSAA. But with every win Sherry still lit up with joy. Jake knew she harboured a sense of responsibility and guilt that wasn't hers to shoulder. She carried the sins of her father just as much as he did, if not _more,_ regardless of what she'd told him all that time ago in a stuffy locker room in China.

But if what they did helped ease her conscious even just a little... well, it was worth it to him.

Time to move on to the next crisis.


	2. Chapter 2

Jake leant back into the welcoming cushions on the bed with a long sigh as his eyes slid shut. It had been weeks since he'd had a decent place to sleep. Not that having Sherry wrapped around him every night was a burden, but most nights he _was_ the cushion. Jake placed one arm over his eyes to block out the sun filtering through the thin curtains. He _needed_ sleep, but over the last few months he'd found himself unable to give in to the pull of unconsciousness if Sherry wasn't beside him. Especially when they were in new and unfamiliar territory.

For now Sherry was in the room next door. Jake could just hear her muffled voice being carried through the walls. He couldn't make out what she was saying but the happiness in her voice was clear as day. There had been a much needed surprise for her waiting at the drop point...

"Well look who finally pulled their ass out from behind that desk." Jake had teased.

Claire landed a soft punch on his arm before pulling Sherry into a tight hug, "Good to see you too Jake. You look like crap."

"It's keeping an eye on this one I tell ya, no rest for the wicked." he said with a nod toward Sherry, whose delight at seeing her old friend meant she was too distracted to argue his accusation.

"Oh?" Claire had smirked as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at Sherry, grinning. As expected, Sherry blushed.

"Why is everyone picking on me lately?" She muttered unhappily.

Jake handed over the microchip and the three of them sat down to eat. Sherry recounted their latest 'mission' down to the last detail while Jake risked a severe case of indigestion as he filled his plate for the third time. Claire always brought the good stuff. Perhaps that was partly the reason he didn't mind the younger of the Redfield siblings. His mother had always told him good food came from a good heart. That... and Claire didn't seem to hold it against him that Jake had once pointed a gun just inches from Chris' face. He'd overheard Sherry filling Claire in on their exploits in Edonia and China. If Claire had any doubts about him she sure hid them well. But Jake had begun to suspect that she actually liked him.

Not that he cared of course. But Claire was important to Sherry. And what mattered to super girl mattered to Jake. No exceptions.

"Hold on... he fell through the _ceiling_?"

Jake almost began to choke as both women fixed him with an amused smile, Sherry's eyes twinkled with something mischievous. Ah, she was getting revenge for his teasing before.

Jake offered up a shrug. "Didn't wanna take the stairs."

Claire laughed as Sherry rolled her eyes. "Admit it, you didn't see the trip wire!"

Jake waved his hand dismissively as he shook his head, "No, I was just so eager to get back to you. I knew you'd be lost without me."

This time it was Claire's turn to roll her eyes, "From what I've seen Sherry can take care of herself. Isn't that right, _super girl_."

Jake felt a slight tug of jealousy whenever Claire used _his_ nickname for Sherry. No one else dared, but Claire seemed to have the ability to get away with whatever she wanted. She was just that type of person, Jake realised. Brave and kind enough to seem nonthreatening, but beneath that flowed something dangerous. Something that emanated a neon warning of 'Do Not Fuck With Me' with a flash of a smile and glint of her eye.

Jake could understand why Sherry looked up to her so much.

"I've picked up a few things." Sherry replied flatly, her attention falling to the empty plate in front of her. Jake knew her humble response to any kind of compliment was rooted in a deep-seated sense of self doubt. For never being 'good enough' for her parents attention. For being labelled a traitor to her country.

 _"She was a security risk_... _an_ _abomination_..." they'd told her.

Jake fumbled with the drink in his hand, almost spilling it. He remembered Sherry's face when she'd told him what happened after China. Her tears had started to fall and Jake wasn't sure they'd ever stop...

" _It was all a lie. They were using me, like they always had been. They were never going to let me be free..."_

Neither of the women noticed the dark shadow pass over Jake's face, Claire and Sherry had gone back to talking about happier times. He excused himself, claiming he needed to get some rest as he rose from the table. He placed one hand on Sherry's shoulder and squeezed tightly as she offered up a small smile.

"I'll be there soon." she told him.

"Take all the time you want, thanks for the grub Red." he nodded at the other woman who offered a parting wave.

Jake brought his other arm up over his head, stretching out on the mattress with a low moan as he felt his bruised body begin to ache. What he'd give to be able to walk away without a scratch on him like Sherry...

Except, of course, she would argue the price she paid wasn't worth it.

Jake guessed he must have fallen asleep at some point. The sun was almost gone when he felt a presence enter the room. With his arm still flung over his eyes he couldn't see Sherry walk toward him, but he heard her kick off her boots and pull off her shirt. She tutted and nudged his leg roughly.

"You got dirt on the sheets," she grumbled quietly.

Jake half smiled. She still hadn't gotten used to him wearing his boots to bed. "You wait until you get stormed in the middle of the night, no shoes and no pants. S'not fun." came his sleepy reply.

Sherry made a low sound in her throat as she unlaced the offending items and dropped them on the floor. "No pants?" she questioned. Jake didn't need to look at her to know the expression on her face. She was always curious about his past, but some stories were not for sharing with the woman you were about to go to bed with.

"To be fair, I think my naked ass shocked the rebels long enough that that was how I got away."

Sherry chuckled and lay down beside him. She was silent for a few moments and Jake lifted his elbow just enough to see her features in the dimly illuminated room. Her eyes were closed. She looked... peaceful. Jake was thankful that she obviously had drawn her own conclusions about his pant-less shenanigans and wasn't asking anymore questions. Her chest rose and fell slowly as Jake's eyes trailed down the length of her body, over the white crop top and down to where her hands were clutched tightly over her stomach. Her face may have looked at rest but with the way her knuckles were turning white he knew she was anything but.

"You okay?"

Clearly he'd missed something after falling asleep. What had Claire shared with her?

Sherry's blue eyes opened just a little as she looked at nothing in particular and Jake noticed for the first time how red they were. Immediately he pulled himself up on his side, leaning over her with worry etched in his features.

"He's still missing..." Sherry told him.

A tear fell down the curve of her cheek and to the sheet below. Sherry had mastered the art of silent crying long ago. There were no shuddering breaths and wrenching sobs. Just... tears.

Jake pulled her into his arms wordlessly. He'd already said everything he could say since Leon had been declared missing. Sherry was determined to blame herself no matter how much Claire or Jake told her otherwise.

Eventually Sherry fell asleep, still nestled against Jake's chest. His own eyes were heavy, but his mind now raced with memories he'd replayed time and time again on nights like these...

_About eighteen months ago..._

It had been a long day.

Jake pulled the pocketknife from his jacket and flipped it open, the sun glinting off the steel as he cut the apple in his hand down the middle.

"Here." he handed a piece to the boy curled up at his side. Seeing the questioning look the child gave him as he hesitated to take the food, Jake made an impatient sound in his throat. "When someone offers you food, you take it. Don't know when you're gonna eat next in a place like this."

The boy took the apple and bit into it greedily. Juice dribbled down his chin as he looked up at Jake with a shy smile.

" _Don't thank me."_ Jake had thought sharply just before the words left the boy's mouth. " _I'm the reason those things are here..."_

He'd had heard rumours of monsters attacking a town in the Middle East. Monsters that resembled those which he'd encountered in China. Enhanced by the C-Virus that had been mixed with his own DNA to create a more robust, lethal creature.

And now this boys mother was dead, his father missing.

"We can get to the refugee camp before it gets dark." Jake had told him bluntly, hating the grateful shine of those wide eyes. If this boy knew who Jake really was, would he hate him?

Hate him like Jake had come to hate his father with every new, horrendous thing he had learned about Albert Wesker?

A few hours later and after only a few minor injuries from the myriad of BOWs, Jake had made good on his promise to get the boy to safety. But there was no sign of his father. A group of other lost and grief-stricken children had been huddled beside a makeshift tent, sharing a loaf of bread and some soup as a woman with a note book wrote down each of their names. Jake had made a habit of counting the orphans he found in his travels. It hadn't taken long to get into triple digits.

It was as he ducked out of the camp's borders, unseen and unrecognised, that he came across someone familiar. Leon had been standing with his back pressed against the wall of a boarded up house, arms folded over his chest as he regarded Jake with a closed expression. It was as if he'd been waiting for him, Jake had thought.

"DSO still keeping tabs on me huh?" He growled, walking straight by Leon without so much as a nod in his direction.

"You've been busy." Leon replied.

So that was a yes, Jake figured. "What the hell do you want? If you're here for more blood you're gonna have to buy me dinner first. I haven't eaten all day-"

"That's not why I'm here."

It was something in Leon's voice that had made Jake stop and turn. He'd only known the man briefly, less than an hour in fact. But Sherry had trusted him. Respected him. So Jake listened when Leon told him they needed to talk. But not there, not then. It was too dangerous. Jake had known from the look in Leon's eyes that it was about Sherry. Call it instinct or intuition, but Jake had felt uneasy about her going back to the USA after everything. After Simmons.

As it turned out, he was right.

Twelve hours later Jake was on his bike headed west. Leon was under strict surveillance, his role at the refugee camp kept him busy and under the watchful eye of the higher ups who suspected his involvement with the disappearance of his fellow agent.

Sherry had gone AWOL. Months ago, so Leon had informed him. Which explained the silence Jake had been met with after the one and only text he'd sent. He'd pushed the guilt away at the time. The guilt he felt for assuming Sherry had simply ghosted him and when she was, in fact, on the run and fighting for her life.

Unable to risk contacting her or Claire, Leon had decided to think outside the box. The DSO believed Jake to be several thousand miles from where he actually was thanks to a certain BSAA soldier. A report had been filed claiming that contact had been made with Muller during a revolt in some region of Russia Jake had never even heard of. Claire's contacts at TerraSave knew different, as somehow they always did. It was a happy coincidence that Leon had been assigned the same location that Jake found himself in. He'd been unofficially demoted to the 'simpler' jobs, Leon had told him bitterly, as a means of keeping the seasoned agent under control. But things could have been worse and at least it gave him the chance to help Sherry. Even if he couldn't do it directly himself.

Leon handed over the means for Jake to get in touch with Claire, ignoring Jake's dubious expression at the mention of the name _Redfield_ , and disappeared off into the night. But not before placing his hand firmly on Jake's shoulder and telling him, or perhaps warning him, Jake wasn't quite sure, to do what he had failed to do: keep Sherry safe.

One week later and Jake was at Sherry's door.

Three weeks later... a report came through to Claire that Leon was officially a missing person.

His last known location... the refugee camp.

_Present..._

The next morning Sherry was unusually withdrawn. Jake was sure if it wasn't for the fact that the virus within her body kept it at optimal health at all times then she would have looked like shit. Sherry often lamented the fact that she never tanned, couldn't get a tattoo or colour her hair as her body immediately repaired or expelled any foreign entity that mixed with her being. She couldn't even stay drunk unless she drank her body weight in alcohol, which had been an interesting learning experience for them both during their earlier days spent together.

It also meant Sherry could not have children. A subject that came up randomly one day when Jake had been glaring at a rabble of nearby kids outside the coffee shop they'd taken refuge in. It was cold and raining and Jake was complaining that the group were giving him a a headache by skating back and forth in the waterlogged streets.

"They'll catch their death." Sherry had said with concern.

"With any luck." Jake agreed, earning a disgruntled look from his not-yet lover.

"Someone feeling a little hungover?" she'd teased as he sipped at the warm black coffee in his hands. Jake wrinkled his nose and shook his head in denial until Sherry laughed at the green hue creeping over his face. The motion made his stomach lurch uncomfortably and the greasy meal that Sherry was tucking into in front of him did not help one bit.

"Told you I could drink you under the table." she said smugly.

"Technically I think you cheated. Could have warned me about the your freakish metabolism super girl."

Jake instantly regretted his words when Sherry's eyes dropped. He kicked himself for his choice of words. "I didn't mean-"

"I know." Sherry dismissed his apology before he could finish, shovelling another mouthful of egg and beans into her mouth. One of the few perks of her mutation was the ability to eat like a horse and still maintain a perfect physique. Forget super soldiers, Jake thought darkly. The modelling industry would bankrupt themselves to pay for that particular secret.

They sat in silence until the bell above the door jingled loudly, making Jake wince, much to Sherry's sadistic pleasure. A woman had entered, unwrapping a small bundle of layers at her side to reveal a young girl with blonde pigtails and wide eyes. Jake didn't look away quick enough to avoid the child's friendly wave. He glowered. Sherry's smile was a little pained, but she waved back regardless.

He watched the expression on Sherry's face grow sadder as the mother picked up the little girl and pointed out the selection of sugar-coated pastries. He wondered, was she thinking about her own mother? Had Annette Birkin ever taken Sherry out for chocolate cake in the rain? Jake had lived a crazy life, and his childhood was far from perfect, but at least he'd had one parent who'd loved him unconditionally. Unlike Sherry who'd almost been left to die alone by her mother after being infected by the G-Virus.

"I'll never have that..." Sherry had said quietly, thinking out loud. Her face turned pink when Jake cleared his throat gruffly. They'd learned a lot about each other at this point, but Jake was still just a twenty-one year old guy. And Sherry was a _woman_. His skills at navigating certain emotional outbursts were in need of some refining.

"Your mom, right?" he'd said flatly. Yeah, it sure would suck to have to watch such a maternal display of affection right in front of you when your own-

"I'll never have a family." Sherry had corrected him. "I can't have children."

Jake had frozen with his cup half way to his lips as Sherry dropped her fork, surprised by her own sudden revelation. "Sorry, not exactly breakfast conversation." she'd added hastily. "Ignore me."

Jake carefully placed his cup back on the table, trying to figure out the best way to deal with this sudden, uncomfortable piece of information.

"Do you wanna... talk about it?"

Sherry had shaken her head slowly, the fork she'd retrieved now pushing the food around her plate aimlessly. They didn't broach the subject again for a long time. Not until after the morning spent in the shower together...

"Did _they_ do it to you?" Jake had asked hesitantly. He knew she'd been through hell at the hands of her 'guardians'. Jake had exploded in a fit of anger once when Sherry, for what felt like the hundredth time, sang Leon and Claire's praises for rescuing her.

 _"They gave you over to them! How can you think they saved you after everything that was done to you!"_ he had ranted. To Sherry's credit she had remained calm and simply pointed out that life never had easy choices. The consequences for them all could have been so much worse...

As Jake had wrapped a towel around Sherry's shoulders and began gently rubbing his hands over the material to dry the moisture from her skin, he knew she understood his question.

It was hardly the sort of talk one would expect after making love for the first time. But Jake and Sherry rarely made small talk anymore. They'd reached a certain level of comfort and intimacy where almost any discussion, any topic, was on the table.

Sherry had shaken her head, her hands reaching out to grasp Jake's hips and hold herself steady as he worked his way around her body. He'd just spent a generous amount of time exploring every part of it, and yet he still found the softness of her skin fascinating. Addictive even.

"No. I'm not sterile or anything. It's just... whatever's left of the G-Virus in my body attacks any foreign cells and destroys them. So even an embryo would be..."

She'd trailed off, lost for a moment in her memories. Jake's blood ran cold as he wondered exactly how this knowledge had been discovered. But he didn't ask. There were certain lines even he knew not to cross. Sherry would tell him when she was ready.

 _This_ particular morning was far less enjoyable. Jake had fallen asleep again eventually, his mind preoccupied by the news that there was still no news when it came to Leon. He wondered if Sherry blamed him. He had often tried to work up to courage to ask but never did. To their knowledge Jake had been the last person to see Leon alive... and even just having that thought, he knew what they were all too afraid to say.

Leon had put himself at risk _again_ to send Jake to Sherry. To protect her in the only way he could. To in-turn betray his government, his country...

It had probably cost him his life.

"Is Claire still here?" Jake asked as Sherry headed toward the bathroom.

Sherry paused and leaned against the door-frame, turning to look at him quizzically. He realised what she must have thought he was implying and raised his hands innocently. "I'm just asking. Didn't hear her leave last night is all."

After a few quiet moments Sherry tilted her head to one side and began to smile. "She left. It's just us."

"And..." Jake said slowly, drawing out the word questioningly, "no more work? We got no place to be?"

"I guess," Sherry replied, her hand coming down to unbutton her jeans, "she thinks we've earned a break."

"Amen to that." Jake breathed, his eyes watching closely as Sherry shimmied her way out of said jeans and disappeared into the bathroom. Jake waited. Only a few hours ago she'd been crying into his chest, inconsolable. It would be completely inappropriate to even _think_ she might want-

"Are you coming?" Her voice called.

Jake jumped from the bed, already peeling off his shirt and unzipping his pants. Grief was complicated. He knew that. Who was he to deny the woman who had just thrown her underwear across the room where it hit him square in the chest and dropped into his hand?

With a grin he tossed it over his shoulder, kicking the door shut behind him as his eyes trailed appreciatively over the unclothed body before him.

"This is a much nicer shower than last time." Sherry said, her eyes batting up at him innocently.

"I didn't notice." Jake practically growled.

There wasn't a lot the pair would have noticed over the next hour or so, which was the exact reason Sherry had called him into the bathroom for. She was so tired of all the death, the fear... the not knowing. But when Jake had his arms around her, his lips and teeth gliding over her throat as hands wandered unashamedly... she could forget all that.

Just for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and comments. I’m really enjoying writing this, I hope you enjoy reading! I’m not sure how explicit to make the erm, intimate scenes... I’ve it been in the FanFiction world for a long time!


	3. Chapter 3

Sherry lounged on the bed nursing a hot cup of coffee as she watched Jake's muscled back rise and fall in a steady rhythm. She smiled wickedly behind her coffee cup, "I think that was fifty... or sixty... I'm not sure, you'll have to start again."

Jake paused from his position on the ground, lifting himself on one hand to offer a gesture with the other that clearly told Sherry what he thought of her suggestion. Exercise was more than just a routine for Jake. It was a daily ritual. "Can't all rely on super powers to keep us at our peak." he'd told her one morning when his relentless grunting had woken her from across the room.

Sherry tossed a pillow in his direction for the obscene gesture. He caught it with his raised hand and smiled. The type of smile that Sherry knew meant she was in trouble. "Don't you dare," she said, pointing a finger at him in warning, "I haven't finished my coffee!"

"Then unless you want it all over you, I suggest you put it down."

Sherry pulled her legs up beneath her, holding out her open hand as a sign of defeat as Jake slowly began to stand with the pillow hanging loosely in his grip. "Okay, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed as his eyes narrowed. His mouth quirked upward into its signature smirk.

"Too late!"

The pillow hit her square in the face. Sherry sprawled back on the mattress, cursing as the liquid in her cup soaked the pillows. She felt the bed dip as Jake crawled his way up, tossing the pillow to the floor once he hovered directly above her. Sherry hooked a bare leg around his waist as he paused, resting on his elbows and fixing her with a teasing grin.

"You think you can take me?" he chuckled.

Sherry pretended to scratch her head in thought. "In a pillow fight? Pfft, easy."

"Well why don't you put your money where your mouth is." Jake dipped his head low to run his lips so gently over her own that Sherry barely felt it. Her neck arched instinctively, urging him to press firmer.

"Loser has to count inventory." Jake continued before pressing his lips along her jaw, his teeth grazing the spot beneath her jawline that he knew made her shiver in delight.

Sherry groaned. She _hated_ taking stock of every last bullet, every piece of tech, that was left for them at each drop point. Of course it was necessary, but this time Claire has left quite the haul. It would take _ages..._

Sherry didn't realise she'd moaned that last thought out load as Jake's mouth continued to move downward. Twice in one morning? Sherry couldn't complain. It wasn't like they usually had this much free time to relax somewhere relatively safe. They both intended to make the most of it.

She could hear Jake's laugh muffled against her chest as he pulled her oversized shirt higher, his fingers brushing the sensitive spot just below her breasts. "Or we could just..."

Her reply was her other leg winding its way around his waist, pulling his hips closer to her own. "Does that mean you forfeit?"

Jake's head shot up quickly, his brow furrowed as he pouted, "Never!"

Sherry squealed as he reached behind her and promptly face-planted her with another pillow. She'd forgotten how competitive he was. Trapped beneath him with her legs still wrapped around his middle Sherry rose both hands in defeat as he assaulted her with the ridiculous multitude of pillows they'd slept on. It was a really nice place considering its uses, he thought while threatening to smother Sherry if she didn't stop tickling his ribs.

Eventually Jake rolled to his side, his smug expression triumphant as Sherry mumbled something unladylike. "You've been around me too long." Jake told her, "When we first met you'd never have uttered such filth."

"Agreed. You are a terrible influence."

"Love you too, babe."

Sherry rolled off the bed, kicking away the pillows responsible for her hair sticking out wildly and flushed cheeks. "I'm still not doing inventory." she declared before grabbing a fresh set of clothes and pulling them on. Her stomach was growling loudly and she hadn't been able to finish her caffeine fix, which was suddenly making her feel a little grumpy.

"You skipped out on it last time." Jake reminded her, "What's in it for me?"

"I'll make breakfast."

"Deal."

Twenty minutes later the pair had relocated to the modest kitchen where Jake had spread the weapons cache over the table and was dutifully counting the ammunition. Sherry cracked another egg into the sizzling pan as she drained her cup of freshly made coffee with a satisfied sigh. Jake gave an impressed whistle as he piled up boxes of cartridges. "Are we going to war or something?" he asked with a scratch of his head. "And this gear she left us... some high spec on this..."

"She mentioned there's been a rise in online communications between some of the shiftier pharmaceutical companies."

"Ain't they all pretty shifty?"

Sherry didn't reply as she flipped the eggs, knowing Jake liked them over easy.

"Next time Claire leaves us a fresh set of clothes can you let her know I'm the next size up?" he continued, "These are a little tight."

Sherry pointed to Jake's middle with the spatula, a wicked grin spreading over her face. "You sure it's not all this domestic bliss causing those love handles?"

Jake looked thunderous before glancing down at his stomach, "This is one hundred percent muscle right here." he declared, lifting his shirt for Sherry to inspect. Which she did, hungrily. Until the smell of burning eggs took her attention.

Not long after they had finished the slightly burnt meal Jake pushed himself back in his chair, rocking back and forth as he watched Sherry with a strange expression in his face. It took a few moments to notice but eventually Sherry returned his look with a deep frown, "What's wrong? Are you still upset about what I said? Fine, you're an Adonis Jake. Claire just got your size wrong."

Jake shook his head and dropped his chair forward, leaning on his elbows as he regarded her carefully. "You've just... not been yourself this morning."

As cheerful as she seemed, Jake knew when Sherry was hiding her inner turmoil behind lighthearted banter. He knew why, of course. And he knew Sherry wouldn't talk about it unless he pushed, which was exactly why she'd been so keen to keep them both distracted with counting inventory, pillow fights and... other things. Although, she had to admit, there was something else going on with her that she couldn't quite put her finger on. For the last few days she'd felt out of sorts. But while being stalked by creatures that looked like they'd stepped straight out of a nightmare, alongside numerous agencies including a few old mercenary contacts Jake had rubbed shoulders with before, who could blame her. Maybe Claire was right. She needed a break.

Except, as she sat playing house, she couldn't help the stab of guilt in her stomach. How could she be so happy right now when Leon-

"I'm fine." she told the man still watching her closely. Sherry suppressed the urge to move away from those steely blue eyes. Jake had a way of making her feel like he could see right through her.

For a moment she thought he wasn't going to drop the subject. She braced herself, ready to deny the truth... that as much as she loved the man before her, every second spent sitting here felt like a betrayal of her old friend. She didn't want to hurt Jake, but lately Sherry often felt that time spent doing anything other than hunting down BOWs or corrupt organisations was time wasted. She was, she supposed, getting a little obsessed.

Fortunately for Sherry the phone Claire had left behind had begun to buzz against the table. Snatching it up quickly she let out a small sigh, grateful for the sudden interruption. Jake merely scowled. There were only two people that could be, he guessed. Flipping open the phone Sherry smiled warmly at the face that appeared on the screen.

"Chris, how are you?"

Opposite her Jake's scowl intensified. He hadn't gotten the chance for a face-to-face with the older of the Redfields, not that he really had anything to say to the man. He'd been told by Claire what went down between Chris and his father, and Sherry was forever reminding him of all of Chris' achievements in the fight against bio-terror. " _Good for him_ ," Jake had spat with a roll of his eyes. He didn't hate Redfield. There was just something about him that got under his skin. As the man's voice was managing to do right now from across the table.

"Sherry, finally! I've been trying to get through to you for hours. I was about to call in to Claire and have her check on you."

Sherry tried to suppress the rising blush in her cheeks, "Sorry about that. We've been a little... busy. And Claire only left last night."

Jake could hear the disapproval in Chris' voice as he fixed Sherry with a hard look, one she purposefully avoided. What business was it of Redfield's what they got up to? Jake thought angrily. Other than himself the only person who treated Sherry like she wasn't a little kid anymore was Claire.

"I see," Chris said flatly, "Well, I'm glad you're okay. Both of you."

"Yeah, right." Jake snorted, earning a warning glance from Sherry over the top of the phone. Either Chris hadn't heard or was choosing to ignore him, which for some reason annoyed Jake all the more.

"I don't have long. I just thought you'd want to know the BOW you believed was tracking you has been taken care of."

Jake's expression clouded as his let out a frustrated hiss. So she _had_ suspected the same thing, that BOWs were being sent out to track her down. Jake felt another stab of annoyance, this time that Sherry hadn't mentioned her concerns to him _at all_. Clearly it had been part of the discussion she'd had with Claire the night before. And of course she went running to her big brother to play the hero...

Jake stood up so suddenly it sent the table jolting backward, almost sending the array of weaponry crashing to the floor. He couldn't help the roll of his eyes as Sherry thanked Chris hastily after confirming that there were no further reports of outbreaks. Sherry hung up the phone and slid it into her pocket, crossing her arms over her chest as Jake kept his back to her as he poured himself a cup of coffee before striding from the room without so much as a glance in her direction.

Sherry huffed. She was tempted to ignore Jake's ridiculous behaviour and wait out his little tantrum. She couldn't understand why Jake was so bothered by Chris. Jake had already told her he had no ill-feelings about what happened to his father, not once he had heard the whole sordid tale. As far as Sherry was aware Chris had done no harm to Jake himself, so what was his problem?

She thought back to the first time all three had met, rounding the corner of the crumbling snow covered street and coming across Chris' team. Jake had antagonised them of course, but that was pretty standard for the mercenary. Yet Chris had remained professional, barely acknowledging Jake's snide remarks. Even when they took out the giant BOW that had been dropped from the sky and proceeded to crush everything in its path... the way Jake fought had been like he had something to prove. He made reckless decisions, like leaping onto the creature's back without warning, putting himself directly into the line of the BSAA's gunfire. She'd never forget the smug look on his face when he'd pulled the enormous spike from the BOW's back and plunged it deep within its exposed organs before rolling effortlessly to the ground below as it bellowed and fell to its knees. Sherry felt frustration rippling through her as she watched Jake go. It was childish, testosterone driven behaviour, she was sure. Almost like he saw Chris as-

"Wait," Sherry said loudly, jumping up from the table and following Jake back to the bedroom. He seemed to be pacing aimlessly, his posture rigid and tight as he kept his back to the open door. "Do you... do you see Chris as _competition_?"

Her eyes were wide with realisation even when Jake clenched his jaw and frantically began denying her accusation. But Sherry could see the way his shoulders hunched, which he always did when he felt defensive. His hand clamped around the cup he held so tight she thought it might shatter. Sherry couldn't help the sound that escaped her lips. It wasn't laughter, not exactly. More the sound of someone who'd finally solved a puzzle that had been driving them insane.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Jake said curtly, his voice low and carefully controlled.

"Right, sure... I must be mistaken." Sherry nodded, crossing her arms once more as she tilted her head to one side. "Except nothing else makes sense, you've no reason not to like him."

Jake spread his hands out wide at his sides in a 'whatever' gesture, oblivious as the contents of his cup fell to the carpet. Sherry vaguely hoped Claire wouldn't be too pissed about the coffee stains they seemed to be leaving all over the place. "You need a reason to not like someone?" he grumbled.

"Usually, yeah."

He was getting frustrated. When Jake was frustrated he would normally go out and find something to drink or hit, neither was an option for him right at that moment. Claire didn't leave them alcohol in her drop-off's anymore. Not after the last incident that involved Sherry catching herself alight on the campfire. "He's just so..."

Sherry waited as he struggled to come up with a compelling argument. She decided to help. "Brave? Strong? Clever? _Handsome_?"

 _Bingo_ , she thought when Jake's eyes flashed with something dark. So it was more than just a professional competition. Did Jake think she had _feelings_ for Chris?

The man in front of her pulled his lips tight over his teeth, hissing as he did so. Sherry was baiting him, poking at insecurities he didn't want to admit to even if she didn't realise it.

He also knew that she was right. Not that he would _ever_ say it out loud.

He too remembered that first meeting. The way Chris' eyes had strayed over Sherry before recognising her name. It wasn't like Jake had the right to be possessive. But it had gotten under his skin nonetheless. And then the other guy had piped up, Piers. Jake didn't like to speak ill of the dead, but in his opinion that guy had one hell of a stick up his ass. Not that Sherry would ever let him say a bad word about either of them. And now Chris was out there being the dutiful hero, and he had to put up with Sherry swooning every time his name was mentioned.

Slowly, purposefully, Sherry began to move toward Jake as he perched himself upon an empty dresser, one knee slightly bent as he balanced himself as casually as he could. He wasn't going to let her see that, yes, he had often considered that Sherry could do so much better than him. And Chris was the polar opposite to him. A real 'american hero'. Jake was... well, he'd done as much bad as he had good. Some of it Sherry knew about. But Jake still had secrets of his own.

Sherry's hand came up to take the half-empty cup from his grasp before placing it to the side. Jake allowed her to do so but still refused to look her in the eye even as she wound an arm around his waist, the other sliding over his chest. "I love you, Jake." she said softly, leaning against him so her voice was slightly muffled by his shirt, "How could you think, after everything, that I would feel like this about anyone but you."

He could feel his anger melting away already as the warmth of her body pressed to his. His hand reached up to run down her back before settling firmly on her hip, pulling her closer. How could he tell her it wasn't that he doubted their relationship, which itself was still something Jake hadn't gotten used to. He'd never spent more than a week or so with the same woman. Never gotten even remotely attached. To _anyone_. But Sherry was different, and he knew how corny that sounded. But even referring to her as his 'girlfriend' seemed ridiculous. She was so much more...

And he was just... him.

Even without all the terrible things he had done without question, without ever stopping for a moment to wonder if he should at least pretend to have some moral code, he had already inherited a legacy covered in blood. The son of a twisted, psychopathic mass murderer. Wesker was responsible for so much pain, more than Jake could ever undo-

"Does this mean you're not mad?" he heard Sherry ask from somewhere beneath arms that had wound themselves tightly around her shoulders. Jake quickly let go, having been so lost in his own dark thoughts that he didn't remember when he'd pulled her into a rib-crushing embrace.

"I'm not mad." he said flatly. It was the truth. Anger was not was he had been feeling, he realised. But Jake was not the sort to spent too much time reflecting on his inner demons. To do so could take him down a path he did not wish to explore.

"Good. So... does that mean you're going to be nicer to Chris?"

Jake rolled his eyes skywards and 'tsked' at her request. "Yeah, yeah. Not like I talk to the guy anyway."

Sherry reached up, standing on the tips of her toes as she always did whenever he didn't lean close enough for her kiss him on the cheek. She almost toppled over when Jake turned his head just enough to catch her lips with his own, kissing her hard and taking her by surprise. Her eyes flew open as hands gripped her hips roughly as his tongue deftly worked its way into her mouth, eliciting a quiet moan from Sherry as it met her own. Her hands placed themselves on his shoulders as Jake's slid down to her thighs, lifting her with ease as he turned and placed her none-too-gently on the dresser. His knee pushed hers aside to stand between her legs, feeling his way beneath her shirt and making Sherry quiver. Briefly she wondered if this was his way of staking a claim and began pulling back from his kiss to protest that she was not some _thing_ for him to use in some perplexing display of toxic masculinity.

Until she saw the look in his eyes which were a slightly deeper shade of his usual blue-gray. There was no more anger or frustration in his expression, but something almost desperate swam behind those eyes. His lips were slightly parted as they took in shallow, rapid breaths. Sherry reached up to press her hand against his cheek, feeling the heat of his skin, the way he shivered under her touch. Even though they'd shared so much of their past with each other, she couldn't always be sure as to exactly what was running through Jake's mind. He rarely opened up to her in his most vulnerable moments. Not verbally. Instead he would seek out her embrace, a hand over his own or a kiss that lingered...

Sherry might have been able to guess at Jake's sudden need for reassurance, and maybe one day he would be completely honest with her about his strange shifts in mood. For now she simply closed the gap between them once more, kissing him just as needily as he kissed her. Their clothes were lost, tossed to the ground without a second thought. When Jake moved against her it was with an eager roughness, a need to be as close to her as he could. To feel her clinging to him, nails digging into his skin as she kissed every part of him she could reach.

Jake found himself trying not to lose control. He hated himself at times like this. When every bad thought and memory came swimming back to the surface, threatening to pull him under and drown him. He shouldn't be using Sherry this way, he knew that. But she was his anchor. She was with him, telling him she loved him as his hands gripped her tight enough to bruise. It was more than physical relief that flooded through him once Sherry's body had gone limp with her own climax. He kept his hold on her as their breathing slowed, his face nestled against her throat. His mind finally quiet for just long enough for him to remember that, as long as he was with Sherry, everything would be okay. He had something with her he'd never had before. A purpose. A home. She _was_ his home.

Without a word exchanged between them he carried her over to the bed. Leaning on his elbow beside her he checked that he hadn't caused any harm. He was usually so careful, so precise in every touch. He'd cut off his own hand before he hurt her.

Sherry seemed to sense Jake's worry and wound her fingers between his, kissing them gently. "That was..." Jake opened his mouth to apologise but found himself silenced by a chaste peck on his lips, "Nice." Sherry finished with a teasing grin.

Jake paused for a moment. Nice? "Is that all, huh? Seems I need to step up my game..."

The tension that had been thick in the air began to fade. Jake was not the sort to wallow in self-pity, not for long. And Sherry always seemed to know how to pull him out of his self-induced funk. Although, he had to admit, having his sexual prowess downgraded to just 'nice' was a hit to his ego.

"Okay, but I'm going to need a few hours to recover. Twice in one day, how long's it been since that happened?"

Jake lay back on the bed and placed one hand behind his head, the other reaching over to pull the sheets over their exposed bodies. He 'hmm'd' thoughtfully, but didn't answer. In fact he began to feel his eyes grow heavy and his muscles finally relax. Beside him Sherry turned and wrapped herself as tightly to his chest as she could. "Can you imagine if every day was like this?"

Jake couldn't suppress the chuckle that escaped him, "You wouldn't be able to walk straight."

A hand playfully dug into his ribs, but Sherry secretly decided that he was correct. "Do you think, one day..."

She didn't finish her question. Jake was reluctant to answer because he knew that truthfully, they would only ever have these stolen moments. The spread of bio-warfare was like wildfire. They could do all they could to suppress it, to control the outbreaks. But it would never be completely gone. The fight was endless.

"That's the dream." he told her tiredly, unwilling to spoil the contentment rising within him.

Sherry lay awake at his side long after he'd fallen asleep. Her head rose and fell with his chest as she listened intently to the steady beat of his heart until another sound caught her attention. From somewhere on the floor she could hear buzzing. Slipping out from beneath the sheets she pulled on her shirt and underwear before reaching for the pocket she'd slid the phone into earlier.

"Claire?" she spoke softly so as not to wake the man sleeping behind her.

The voice on the other end of the line was not so gentle.

"Sherry! You need to leave, now! We just got a tip off, BOWs heading in your direction!"

Sherry felt her heart stop for what felt like a full ten seconds. A tip off? From who? She must have asked out loud as Claire snapped back, "It doesn't matter right now. You've got an hour, maybe less. I'll send you a safe location as soon as I can."

With that the line went dead.

"What's going on?" came a gruff voice behind her, making Sherry start. Jake was sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes already sharp and alert.

"We've got incoming BOWs, but at least an hours head-start." Sherry explained.

Jake cursed a streak that could've turned the air blue, quickly grabbing up his clothes. "All right. Get packing." he gestured back toward the kitchen.

Sherry pulled on the rest of her own clothes, the thundering beat of her heart making her chest ache. She could have laughed out loud as she remembered her earlier question. Could she imagine a life without running for their lives at a moments notice? Without the calming haziness of post-coital bliss she certainly couldn't. It seemed like such a ridiculous dream now...

Less than ten minutes later Jake was throwing the last of the supplies into the truck left behind by Claire as Sherry jumped into the passenger side. Jake grumbled something about missing his bike as he started the engine. Had the urgency of their situation been less so than Sherry might have made some comment about hoping to never again have to ride on the back of one of those things, her experience in China had not warmed her to motorcycles like it had Jake.

"So, where we headed?"

"Just keep going south for now." Sherry replied, feeling herself begin to deflate as the adrenaline in her body faded. She fixed her eyes on the road, not trusting herself to look back at the house disappearing from view. It was silly, she thought. They'd moved from place to place for over a year now, and yet for the first time she found herself aching to be able to just _stay_. Something had changed in the last twenty-four hours. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

For now she put it down to feeling tired and battle-weary. Tomorrow there would be a new bed... and a new fight. Jake reached over to squeeze her hand tightly. He didn't need to ask what she was thinking, their thoughts were the same. But Sherry was at least grateful for one thing. That no matter what... Jake would always be at her side.


	4. Chapter 4

The interior of the truck was filled with hideous snarls as the screen in Sherry's hand illuminated her face with a pale glow. Her hand reached out to rest on Jake's knee as his own pressed tightly over her fingers. They watched in silence as the table they had been sat at only hours before was thrown across the room, shattering into pieces. The screen flickered before showing the slick-skinned creature rise up to its full height, dragging claws along the walls that left deep gouges right down to the brick.

"There's no denying this creature is one of the newer breeds." The image switched to that of a drawn, tired looking Claire Redfield. "As you can see, it demonstrates a tremendous amount of stealth as it searches the house. It only goes into a frenzy when it realises you're gone..."

Sherry wanted to look away as the footage began to replay but found herself transfixed by the creature, the way it prowled almost cat-like through the rooms before rising up to its full height to sniff the air. Muscles tense and writhing as it realised the house was empty.

"And you think it's Sherry it was after?" Jake asked, the memory of Sherry looking at him

Claire lifted her shoulders in a half-shrug as she tiredly rubbed at her eyes. "We can't know for sure, it might be after both of you. But from what you described when coming into contact with these particular BOWs... the way it responds to Sherry's scent..."

Jake glanced at the woman beside him who avoided his gaze. He didn't remember telling Claire anything like that... but Sherry had spoken with Claire just the night before. Which meant she had shared these thoughts with her old friend... but not him. Annoyance stabbed at his gut while concern and even a little insecurity settled in his chest. Jake was far from stupid. He'd already noted the unusual behaviours of the BOWs they were crossing paths with. He couldn't help but wonder why Sherry hadn't brought it up to him too...

Sherry was oblivious to Jake's thoughts as her blue eyes slid shut. All she could see behind her eyelids was the monster's dripping teeth. Its jaw and nose stretched out like some kind of beastly hound, ears pressed back against its skull, fused to its greyish skin. The hunched figure reaching up, stretching out razor sharp claws as its flesh seemed to stretch and break over its shoulders. It had turned on the accompanying BOWs once it realised its prey had disappeared, smothering the room in blood and torn limbs as it screamed.

"It's a good thing I thought to set up the cameras before we left," she heard Jake say, his voice echoing toward her as if from the depths of a long tunnel, "any chance of more intel now you've got a good look at it? I'm pretty sure it was the same creature that attacked us when went after the microchip."

"I can try. Chris insisted he killed that particular BOW himself-"

"Yeah, clearly he's full of shit."

Sherry's eyes snapped open and she pulled her hand from Jake's grasp with an annoyed grunt. He glanced over at her, his face half-hidden in shadow as she frowned at him. Naively she had thought they'd worked through whatever problem Jake had with the older Redfield sibling. Sherry should have known things were rarely so simple as Jake's upper lip curled and her shook his head sharply, turning to glare out the window.

Claire cleared her throat loudly, "I'm unable to make contact with Chris at the moment," she said curtly, choosing to overlook the attack on her brother's character, "but he would never knowingly give you bad intel. It's possible there was more than one creature in the town..."

Jake's expression was a carefully controlled blank canvas as he ran a hand over his head, flexing his neck and shoulders in a way Sherry knew well. He was trying to reign in his irritation. "Sure, whatever. Look whatever that thing is... the way it behaved... I've never seen anything like that."

The tension from Jake's outburst was pushed aside as Sherry nodded her head in agreement, "I know the signal was cut off before we could see for certain but it looked like it was mutating again. The way its muscles were shifting and bulging on its back..."

"A common feature in today's BOW since the development of the C-Virus," Claire agreed, "It's like instant evolution. They grow faster, stronger and smarter with certain stimuli. Although it's usually when they're injured or near death... this seemed to be triggered by something else."

"Emotion." Sherry murmured, the realisation becoming clear to her as she once again watched the BOW approach the house. It crept forward hesitantly, the cameras picking up its movement as it slid from tree to tree. At first it had seemed to be scouting the area, which was incredibly unusual behaviour for most BOWs who had long lost the ability to behave with such purposefulness. But as Sherry studied it, the way its clawed hands wrapped themselves around a large tree as it peered out toward the camera, she began to think it looked almost... nervous. Until one of the group of half-human mutations that strongly resembled J'avo prodded it with a rod, shooting a bolt of white-blue electricity up its spine. Then the creature merely hunched over on all fours and began running toward the empty residence. It was in that brief moment of hesitation that she sure she saw a flicker of something almost human... the creature wasn't displaying the typical urge to mindlessly hunt, maim and kill. It wasn't just thinking either. It was feeling.

"BOWs don't feel," Jake said dismissively, " especially not when they're that far gone. They're basically wild animals. Wild, rabid animals."

But Sherry knew differently. She had been face to face with a beast twisted almost beyond recognition once before, and yet she'd been able to see through the horrifying mutation to something still lurking beneath the surface. Remnants of humanity still lingering...

"It's not impossible..." Claire said slowly, suddenly deep in thought herself. Sherry wondered if she too had seen it. Seen the last vestiges of William Birkin before he fully succumbed to the G-Virus he'd devoted his life to.

That which had eventually been his undoing.

"So what you're saying is we just witnessed a BOW throwing a hissy fit 'cause it didn't get what it came for?"

The frustration in Jake's voice was clear and for once Sherry found herself unwilling to let his attitude go unchecked. Her response was sharp and icy, reminding Jake of a time that felt so long ago, standing beneath fluorescent lights buzzing in a changing room as she fixed him with a steely glare, calmly scolding him for blaming his father for all that had gone wrong in his life. "Do you have another explanation for it tearing through its own kind like that? Usually they don't turn on each other like that."

Jake shrugged and fidgeted in his seat. He hated when Sherry looked at him like that, as if he were a petulant child. Usually the age difference between them was something neither really thought about, considering Sherry's teenage years and early adulthood had been so sheltered in a lot of ways meant Jake had far more life experience. Yet he had also never had the chance to mature quite like she had. Where Sherry had developed an ability to look at the big picture, to remain calm and think things through with logic, Jake had never really shook off his childish need to lash out at anything that posed the slightest hint of a threat. He hated not having all the answers and found himself getting aggravated as they speculated on things they could only guess at.

Beside him Sherry wound her hands in her lap as Jake remained staring out the window at the looming darkness, "Do we at least know where these things are coming from? Or exactly what type of virus is being used to create them?" he said slowly, the heavy tension between the pair was either unnoticed by Claire or simply ignored.

"That's still a no. Without a body to test we can't get a sample of its DNA. We've never even retrieved a blood sample. Every part of these things instantly begins to decay once separated from its host."

"Is there anything we do know?" Jake sighed as he pressed his fingers into eyes that were beginning to burn with exhaustion.

"Just that you two clearly need to get some sleep..." Claire, who was obviously feeling a little disgruntled herself, mumbled just loud enough for them to hear. Jake clenched his jaw as he bit back a retort. Sherry briefly wondered if Jake just had a tendency to show more control around women, or if he held back because he genuinely liked Claire. It wasn't like him to not speak his mind or give a damn about what anyone else thought.

"You're right," Sherry agreed before anyone said something they'd regret, "We're not far from the location of the new safe house. We'll get a good night's rest and check in tomorrow."

As the women exchanged a short goodbye Jake started up the engine. They drove without a word, staring at the unlit road ahead as the minutes ticked by. Something was bubbling beneath Sherry's calm exterior. Something unfamiliar when it came to Jake. When they first met she'd found his reckless nature frustrating beyond measure until she'd seen the bravery and determination beneath his cocky exterior. He was complex, a whirlwind of conflicting emotions and impulses. Sherry had to admit it was also what she'd begun to find herself attracted to... which was probably the result of a such a strict, boring childhood which only grew worse as she grew up. But tonight she couldn't bring herself to have patience with his short-temper. Instead she folded one arm beneath her head and rested it against the cool glass.

"I'm going to try and sleep." she told him. Jake responded with a small nod and a slight grunt.

The remainder of the journey was spent in silence. Sherry tried to fall asleep but had to keep shifting position as her arm fell asleep and the rumble of the engine began to make her head ache. Beside her Jake struggled to keep focused on the road. He was glad they were in what he'd call the 'ass end of nowhere' so he had no other traffic to disturb his thoughts.

Their conversation with Claire kept repeating in his mind. The fact that Sherry had confided her worries in someone else did not sit well with Jake. Over time they had shared their worse memories, their darkest fears...

It suddenly occurred to Jake that perhaps Claire wasn't the only Redfield she'd confided in. Why else would Christ risk going off-mission to hunt down a BOW he hadn't been assigned to terminate.

His hands gripped the wheel tightly as he caught sight of their destination in the distance. Sherry was still stubbornly feigning unconsciousness to avoid talking to him. Was she really that mad at him? Chris was the one who had, in Jake's 'unbiased' opinion, royally fucked up. He'd told them the very not-dead BOW had been taken care of. Which put them at risk. Which put Sherry at risk. Of course Jake was pissed. But once again Sherry would blame Jake's supposed jealously on his outburst and continue fawning over the insufferable douchebag-

Sherry's voice broke through Jake's ranting inner monologue, "Are we here?"

"Looks like." Jake responded flatly as they pulled off the main road and followed a worn wooden sign that pointed east. Painted on the top corner was an almost childlike drawing of the planet encircled in a lop-sided heart. They recognised it as one of the many signals used among certain TerraSave members to guide each other to safety. It looked innocent enough not to draw attention among a canvas of peeling graffiti.

It didn't take long to reach the gravel driveway that circled around a modest sized cabin. The place looked like a disused holiday home, Jake thought. A old rope swing hung from a nearby tree as he switched off the engine and stepped from the vehicle. His stomach growled angrily as he realised he hadn't eaten since that morning. They'd driven for at least twelve hours straight, only stopping to watch the horror movie that was the footage Claire had sent them. Sherry began pulling bags from the truck and Jake wondered if her refusal to even look in his direction was as deliberate as it seemed. When she turned on her heel and noisily struggled up the small set of wooden steps to the porch he didn't have to guess any more. It was obvious she intended to keep the cold-shoulder going.

Jake stretched his shoulders, feeling the bones pop and creak. He was sore, tired and hungry. Yet the thought of following Sherry into that cabin filled him with dread. For the first time since they'd met he felt... unsure. Unsure of himself... of what to do or to say to the woman who was peering cautiously through the windows.

"If someone was here they'd be firing at us by now," Jake told her, deciding to make an attempt at normality. Perhaps it would diffuse the increasing tension. Sherry made a vague sound of agreement before kneeling down in front of the door and feeling for the loose board Claire had said the key would be under.

"So much for that..." Jake thought bitterly to himself, his sense of uncertainty being eroded by frustration. Was she really going to ignore him all night? Jake had a fair amount of experience with women, enough that he knew right now was probably a good time to just shut up and wait for things to settle between them. They could talk in the morning, get it all out in the air in a healthy, mature way like couple's were supposed to do...

"You gonna tell me what your freakin' problem is?"

Unfortunately Jake only listened to his instincts when it came to the battlefield.

Sherry pushed herself to her feet, the key dangling between her fingers as she finally looked at Jake glaring up at her in the darkness. He was still stood beside the truck, arms now folded over his chest as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Sherry's brow creased as she surveyed him. What right did he have to be so snappy with her?

"My problem?" she repeated, letting the bag that had been slung over her shoulder fall to her feet as she placed one hand on her hip. "What's your problem Jake? I thought you said you'd be nice to Chris-"

Jake threw his arms in the air, "He isn't even here!" he snapped incredulously.

Sherry jabbed an accusing finger at him, "You were rude to Claire. He's her brother-"

"Her brother who could have gotten us killed!" Jake pointed out as he moved closer, bridging the gap between them, "You'd think he'd make sure he killed the right BOW before telling us we were safe-"

Sherry scoffed, glaring as Jake halted midway up the cabin's steps so they were eye to eye. Her annoyed frown became an angry scowl that matched his own, "Oh don't pretend that's why you're angry Jake! You'll take any excuse to paint Chris out to be the bad guy-"

"Well forgive me for not kissing the ass of the guy who murdered my father-" Jake clenched his fists at his side, resisting the urge to throw one of the cracked ceramic plant pots dotted around the cabin's exterior. He didn't think such a display of infantile behaviour would help his argument, but it sure would make him feel better to break something right about now.

Sherry's scowl shifted to one of frustrated confusion, "We talked about this! I thought you were okay-"

"Yeah, well... I'm not! All right! I'm not okay!" The words spilled from Jake's lips before he really knew what he was saying. Sherry froze as his breaths came in shallow, uneven pants as he screwed his eyes shut to block out the expression on her face. He didn't mean he had a problem with what happened to his father, he didn't care about Albert Wesker in the slightest. He just wished he'd had the opportunity to kick his father's ass for himself before he'd been slung into a volcano or whatever the hell it was Chris had done. Opening his eyes he saw Sherry no longer looked so angry. She was... worried.

"I'm not okay with the fact that we could have died if Claire hadn't given us that tip off in time." he began, slowly, every word said carefully as he tried to put into words the thing that had caused him so many restless nights...

"I'm not okay with the fact that you could have been hurt, or taken. I'm not okay that you didn't tell me you knew you were being tracked. I don't give a fuck about Redfield or my father, I care that we can't spend more than twenty-four hours somewhere where you're safe. Where we can just be..." His words faltered as he tried to find a way to say it. To say the thing that he both longed for and feared at the same time. "Normal."

Sherry remained frozen, running over his confession in her mind as his body seemed to deflate before her. Any and all rage they'd been feeling had disappeared at the utterance of that word. Hadn't they just discussed that very notion whilst laying in bed together just a day ago? The fact that normal would never mean to them what it meant to others...

"Jake... what we have, it's messy and... yeah, sometimes painful... and downright terrifying. But it's our normal. It's what we chose, right?"

Running a hand over his head before pressing his fingers to his eyes hard enough to see stars behind his eyelids, Jake sighed. "Yeah... I'm just tired, I don't know what I'm saying..."

Sherry hesitated before reaching out and pulling Jake's hand away, "Look, I'm not going to pretend that I'm not upset. Clearly we have a few things we need to talk about-"

Her finger came up to press against Jake's lips as he began to insist there was nothing more to say. "We will talk about it. But not tonight. We need to get some rest and get our heads straight."

"Crap," Jake thought. Why did he get the feeling he was in trouble. Deciding it wasn't worth trying to argue, and not wanting to risk making things worse, Jake unloaded the rest of their supplies as Sherry unlocked the door. It swung open silently to reveal a simple square room with dust sheets strewn over a small couch and two single armchairs. A worn coffee table covered in a thick layer of dust sat in the centre of the room. There was what just about passed as a kitchen to their left; a sink and small worktop area with a single cupboard. Jake assumed their cooking facilities were outside... as was the bathroom.

Sherry pulled a lamp from inside one of the bags and set it down on the coffee table. "No bedroom," she sighed, pulling back the dust sheet and grimacing at the lumpy looking couch before her, "Looks like a pullout."

Jake bolted the door shut behind him. "I can take the floor." he shrugged, earning an alarmed look from Sherry.

"Why?"

"Well, I didn't think you'd want to..." Jake began to mumble. Wasn't that what happened when couples had a fight? The guy ends up getting kicked out of the shared bed.

Sherry almost chuckled out loud as she realised what Jake was implying. Perhaps if it hadn't been for his minor outburst at the end of their argument she'd be telling him to spend the night in the truck. But for the first time since they'd reunited he had actually opened up to her, just a little, and in his own way. But still... all it took was their first fight to get him-

"Hey!" she said suddenly. "That was our first fight!"

Jake shrugged, "Was it? I'm pretty sure I've pissed you off plenty since we met..."

Sherry felt a tickle of amusement. They were like any other couple after all, just with added death and mayhem. "If you want normal Jake, what's more normal than me kicking you out of bed after our first fight."

"Okay, first off, why do you keep saying it like that? And also, I rescind my offer. You can take the floor." Jake rolled his eyes as Sherry gave an exaggerated gasp of despair before muttering what sounded like 'I don't think so' under her breath. He couldn't help the slight tug in the corners of his mouth. He hoped the easing of tension between them meant things could go back to the way they were before. Before the say had been flung into chaos and he had let slip his little admission. He found himself squirming at the thought. Not that he would have to admit just how much the thought of losing Sherry terrified him and filled him with incandescent rage at the very suggestion of her being hurt. That much was obvious. He didn't want to tell her that he'd spent more than a few sleepless nights wondering what kind of life they'd have if they met under normal circumstances. Wondering how long they could keep living like they did... if it would only end when one of them...

He shook the thoughts from his mind. Besides, the point was that under normal circumstances they wouldn't have met at all. So what did any of that other stuff matter.

"I need to get changed and freshen up a bit," Sherry told him as she slid off her jacket and placed it over one of the chairs. Jake nodded silently as she began to undress and tried to discreetly turn his back. He wouldn't usually miss out on a chance to see Sherry without her clothes on, but he still wasn't sure just where he stood at that precise moment and didn't want to risk antagonising her further by acting like a lecherous jerk. Instead he began to pull out the couch, waving away the plume of dust that filled the air and made his eyes water. This was a real downgrade, if Claire was still talking to him tomorrow he'd have to let her know he only gave the place a one star rating.

The dull buzzing of a phone vibrating caught his attention. Sherry gestured for him to answer the call as she pulled on an oversized sweater and began searching her bag for some fresh socks, "It's probably Claire making sure we made it." she told him. Jake begrudgingly felt inside the pocket and prayed it was the more attractive of the Redfields calling. He'd still rather deal with an angry Claire than Chris right now...

He answered the unknown number, breathing a sigh of relief when a surprised feminine voice said his name, "Jake?"

"Claire, hey we just got here-"

"Is Sherry with you?"

"Damn," Jake sighed, so she was pissed at him too. He was beginning to wonder if his lone wolf lifestyle had its merits after all. It meant no female drama at least. Well, now was as good a time as any to throw himself at her mercy. It might help remove the last of the chill between him and Sherry at least.

"She's here. Look, about before-"

"What? No Jake... forget about that. I need... I need to tell Sherry something and... oh god, I can't even say it..."

Sherry couldn't hear what was being said but she clearly saw the way Jake stood up straight, his entire body tensing as the woman on the phone spoke. At first she assumed Claire was giving Jake a much deserved piece of her mind, but even in the shadows of the cabin she could see the look on Jake's face harden before blanking out completely. Were they still in danger?

They couldn't be, because if they were than Jake wouldn't slowly lower the phone and place it in his pocket. He wouldn't just stand there, still and silent as the seconds ticked by. Sherry felt a coldness wash over her. Dread settled within her bones as her hands began to tremble. Suddenly she didn't want to know whatever Claire had told Jake. She placed both hands in front of her, palms out as if to ward him off as Jake took a step closer. The rushing in her ears was suddenly so loud, but not loud enough to drown out the words that she didn't want to hear.

Arms encircled her as she fought to take a breath. Her legs buckled and she slumped against Jake's chest as her eyes began to burn.

Jake held on as Sherry collapsed against him even as her fingers dug painfully into his arms. Her pain was crushing, overwhelming. And Jake knew there were no words to be said, no gesture he could make to help her. Because Claire Redfield had finally discovered what had happened to the only other person Sherry Birkin had loved as a child...

"He can't be... he can't be..." Sherry sobbed. If she said it enough it had to be true, right? She could undo it, she could make the words and the knowledge disappear and Leon would be okay. Leon would be safe and well and-

"...not dead... please, no..."

**Author's Note:**

> So, I hope the backstory for how Shake/Jerry came to be is explained enough! Some things may be a little vague because they’re part of the plot; like who their ‘employer’ is, what happened to Leon and who has really been experimenting with BOWs...?


End file.
